


I Can’t Count The Reasons I Should Stay

by fiction1981



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: Anal Sex, Fluff, Lucas is a terrible flirt, M/M, Miscommunication, Oral Sex, Rimming, Road Trip, Wedding, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:20:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24296515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiction1981/pseuds/fiction1981
Summary: A road trip. A wedding. Exes. Miscommunication. Sexual Tension. So much sexual tension.Lucas’s life truly is a comedy of errors.
Relationships: Eliott Demaury/Lucas Lallemant
Comments: 41
Kudos: 179





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Consider This Your Wedding Gift

Lucas remembers it like this:

It’s two days before he has to hand in a twenty page paper discussing the changing role of music in the 19th century and all he has typed so far is his name...and somehow he has misspelled that.

“Fuck,” Lucas mutters, running his fingers through his wild mane of hair. He deletes ‘Lallement’ and retypes his last name, slowly this time...like a four year old spelling out their name for the first time. He glances at his phone and sighs at the time. 

23:35. He has been sitting in front of the computer for the past two hours and all he has written his name. He can almost hear Imane scolding him for once again waiting till the last minute to type up some half-assed essay. But it really isn’t his fault this time. This time the blame lies squarely with Bas.

See, it’s not Lucas’s fault that Bas and Daphne decided to get married the week after his finals. And it isn’t his fault that for the past week Bas has been texting and calling him, panicking about his vows.

_ “Lucas please,” Bas had begged, his voice slightly pitched and hysterical. “Daphne wrote her vows months ago and I just know they are going to be beautiful and everyone is going to cry. Then I’ll speak and people are going to start throwing food at me!” _

_ ”Bas, it is six in the morning! I literally fell asleep an hour ago.” _

_“Please!”_

_ “Fine,” Lucas groaned out, banging his head against his pillow in frustration. _

_ Bas cleared his throat. “The dictionary defines marriage…” _

_ “”Nope...just...nope.” _

See...totally not his fault.

Lucas lets out an exasperated yell and slaps his hands against his cheeks. “This fucking paper is going to be the death me.  Maybe if I get hit by a car my Professor Dante will take mercy on me _.” _

_  
_ He begins to contemplate the pro and cons of diving in front of a speeding car ( “ _Pro: I get out of writing this stupid paper. Con: I could die_.”)  when his phone buzzes, bringing him out of his musings.

_ _

“You have gotta be shitting me,” Lucas sighs. He wonders what will happen if he just ignores it. For all Bas knows, Lucas could be fast asleep.

__

_ Buzz _

_ _

“Fuck,” he exhales out slowly. Better to get this over with now, he thinks, as he finds Bas’s number in his contacts.

__

“You know,” Lucas begins to say as soon as Bas picks up the line, “you have two other friends you can call.” He pauses though when he hears two people yelling in the background. He recognizes Daphne’s voice, direct and commanding. A tone he remembers all too well from when she took charge of fixing the common room their second year of high school. He thinks the second voice belongs to Lola, Daphne’s younger sister, who, Lucas isn’t ashamed to admit, frightens him sometimes. 

__

“Um...Bas? Everything okay?”

__

“No Lucas,” Bas hisses out. “Everything is not okay! Everything is  _ so  _ not okay!”

__

Lucas can almost picture Bas tugging his hand through his curly hair in frustration. “What’s going on?” He asks slowly .

“My future wife and future sister in law are about to kill one another!” Bas yelps suddenly and Lucas can hear something smash on the other end. “Or maybe they’re going to team up and kill me.”

“Bas…”

“Sorry! I am so sorry Lucas. I know you have finals and I keep coming to you for help and...I’m sorry.” 

Lucas sighs, his frustration at his friend melting away at Bas’s pathetic tone. “It’s okay Bas. Just tell me what happened.”

“Daphne’s cousin Eliott texted to say he can’t come to the wedding now. Something to do with taking his car for an eight hour drive last week and now it’s making this rattling sound and he’s afraid if he takes it for another long drive it’s going to explode or something.”

“Okay,” Lucas replies, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion . “And Daphne and Lola are fighting because…”

“Well, Daphne’s upset because Eliott is like a big brother to her and Lola. And Lola’s upset because, according to her, hanging out with Eliott was going to be the only good thing about the wedding.”

“Shit,” Lucas says, trying to muffle the amusement in his voice. “Did Lola actually say that to Daphne’s face?” 

“That and so much more,” Bas moans. “Daphne called her a selfish, ungrateful sister and Lola called Daphne a bitchy bridezilla.”

“Bitchy bridezilla,” Lucas repeats with a snort of laughter.

“It’s not funny man!” Bas retorts. “They keep yelling at each other... and at me. Now Lola’s threatening to curse the wedding if we don’t figure out a way to get Eliott there.”

“Bas, Lola isn’t a witch. She can’t curse your wedding.”

“Have you forgotten what she did to me our third year,” Bas asks in a condescending tone. “When I stupidly broke up with Daphne and left her crying in the middle of the hallway.”

“Bas…”

“She cursed my dick Lucas! She cursed my dick and a week later I had that excruciating rash.”

“That had nothing to do with a curse and  _ everything  _ to do with you jacking off using expired lube.”

“Agree to disagree.”

“Bas!” Lucas snaps, frustrated at the direction the call seems to be going now. He breathes out slowly, getting his emotions under control. “Did you call me just to tell me that Daphne and Lola are fighting?”

“Oh...um no. Actually I was hoping you could do me a favor.” Bas clears his throat nervously before he continues. “It turns out that Eliott goes to a visual arts school that’s only thirty minutes away from you and...well...I was hoping that maybe you could pick him up on your way here.”

“You want me to pick up a stranger, sit in a car with them for 6 hours and make awkward small talk,” Lucas moans.

“Lucas please!” Bas pleads. “Please…I don’t like seeing Daphne this upset and I don’t want her and Lola fighting this close to the wedding. You know they haven’t had the easiest relationship.”

Lucas groans as smacks his palm against his forehead.The last thing he wants to do is spend time in a small space with a stranger but he knows it’s pointless to try and wiggle his way out of helping. He would never forgive himself if he said no and caused more pain to two people he loved.

“Fine,” he replies after a minute or two. “I’ll pick him up. Consider it your wedding gift.”

“Fuck yeah!” Bas exclaims, letting out a joyful  _ whoop _ . “He’s going to bring Eliott with him!”

There’s a commotion in the background, as Daphne and Lola abandon their fight and let out an excited cheer. 

_ “Gimme the phone Bas,” _ Daphne calls out. Voices are muffled as Bas’s cell exchanges hands and then Lucas hears Daphne’s bright voice.

“Lucas,” she says tearfully. “Thank you so much. You have know idea what this means to me and Lola.”

“Yeah...well I was worried you and Lola would kill Bas if I said no,” Lucas jokes.

Daphne lets out a watery chuckle. “I wouldn’t have killed him Lucas. I’d just withhold sex.”

“That would be worse than death for him,” he responds with a laugh.

“Eliott is going to be so happy. I’m going to text him right now. You were leaving Friday, right?”

“Uh, yeah. My last exam is at 16:00 and then I need to pack so I was thinking I’d leave at...18:00. I was going to stop at a motel for the night and keep driving the next morning.”

“As long as you guys are here by the time the luncheon starts that is fine with me.”  She’s quiet for a moment and then lets out a happy squeal. “Eliott just texted back and he is so happy. He called you his hero.”

“Yeah, well tell Eliott that this hero is in control of the music on the drive and absolutely no food or drink. My car still hasn’t recovered from the Thai takeout fiasco of 2018.”  Lucas glances at the time and lets out a pained groan. “Hey Daphne, can you text me Elliott’s details? I’d love to keep talking but I have a twenty page paper due in two days and have barely started.”

Daphne gasps. “Lucas! What would Imane say if she knew you had waited til the last minute on an important paper?”

“She’d probably yell at me like you are right now.” 

“I will text you his address, phone number and a picture of him. That way you don’t accidentally let a serial killer in your car.”

“Appreciate it Daph.”

“Bas,” she calls out. “Lucas needs to focus on his school work so you absolutely can not call him in the morning to panic about your vows.”

_ “Daphne! _ ” Bas protests. Lucas can hear a murmured argument between the two of them before Bas calls out, “ _ Bye Lucas! Love you brother!” _

The line goes dead and Lucas places his cell down. He’s suddenly exhausted from all the drama and is contemplating on making a pot of coffee when his phone  _ buzzes  _ again. He sighs as he picks his cell backup and sees that it is a text from Daphne this time. He clicks on it and promptly swallows his tongue when he sees the gorgeous man looking back at him.

“Fuck. Me.”


	2. 1: Meet Cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas is about to meet Eliott for the first time and he may not survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, let me just say thank you to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, and left kudos. It is very appreciative.
> 
> Second, I am so sorry the picture of Eliott never loaded. I’ll try to back at some point and fix it. In the mean time, just imagine your favorite pic of Maxence.

1: Meet Cute

Lucas is absolutely not staring at Eliott’s picture for the hundredth time. He is, also, absolutely not stroking his finger up and down Eliott’s face like some creeper. He is absolutely not doing those two things. Especially not while he is sitting in his car, waiting for Eliott to emerge from his apartment building.

Except...he is. He is totally, brazenly staring at Eliott’s gorgeous face while stroking his finger across his sculpted cheekbones, feeling every bit the creeper he is.

The last few days have been stressful, to say the least. Lucas did manage to type a halfway intelligent paper and hand it in on time. He only had to drink six pots of coffee, have three major panic attacks, and smash a hole in the wall when he threw his text book at it (yeah...he’s so not getting his deposit back), but he finished it. 

He also had to study for and take three other exams, pack for a wedding, plan Bas’s stag night with Yann and Arthur, _and_ still found time to covertly ask Bas for intel on Eliott.

Okay...so maybe not _completely_ covertly. In Lucas’s defense, Bas is terrible at picking up cues.

Now, armed with the information that Eliott is into guys _and_ is single, Lucas can’t help but let his fantasies run a little wild. His favorite one involves him and Eliott just cuddling and sharing soft kisses. Eliott looks like he would be an epic cuddler. 

There’s also the fantasy of Eliott naked, lying down, his fingers digging into the flesh of Lucas’s hips as Lucas rides him hard and fast. But Lucas absolutely can not think of that fantasy now. Not when he’s about to be confined in a small space for six hours with an attractive man. 

Awkward-boner-inducing attractive.

He quickly tosses his cell to the passenger seat and closes his eyes. _“Okay Lucas,”_ the little voice inside his head starts to say. _“You need to get your shit together! He is just a guy...an extremely gorgeous guy, but just a guy. If you do anything to make him feel uncomfortable, like get a massive boner, Eliott will think you’re a creepy pervert and he’ll tell Lola who will make the rest of your life a living hell. So. Calm. The. Fuck. Down. If you need to, think of Bas wearing a Speedo...that will kill your boner faster than dunking your junk in an ice bath.”_

_Tap, tap, tap._

Lucas’s eyes open and he slowly turns his head to the driver’s side window. He chokes back a moan as he takes in Eliott standing outside his car door. Eliott who’s wearing tight black jeans and a black leather jacket. The same black leather jacket he's wearing in the photo that Lucas has spent the last few days obsessing over.

_Bas in a Speedo...Bas in a Speedo,_ he thinks as he pushes open his car door and steps out into the crisp evening air.

If Lucas thought Eliott’s picture was stunning, the real-live specimen standing a mere feet away from him is a billion times better. Eliott’s wild mane of hair could rival his own, and he has to fight the urge to run his fingers through it. His eyes are clear and bright, deep pools that Lucas could stare into for hours. And his lips look so soft and kissable…

He’s a fucking masterpiece and Lucas is _so_ not going to survive.

_Bas in a Speedo...Bas in a Speedo...Bas in a -_

“Lucas?” Eliott questions with a mischievous smile and a slight tilt to the head.

Lucas realizes, somewhat belatedly, that Eliott is waiting for him to respond and he’s just staring at him with an open mouth. You know...like an idiot.

“Me Lucas!” He immediately cringes at his stupidity and tilts his head upward, silently hoping the earth will swallow him whole. He looks everywhere but Eliott’s face as he stammers out, “I mean… Hi, I’m Lucas.”

Eliott lets out a quiet chuckle, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He adjusts the strap of his duffle on his shoulder and offers his hand. “It’s nice to meet you Lucas. Me Eliott.”

Lucas feels himself blush at Eliott’s teasing. He shakes the hand that is offered, ignoring the small jolt of electricity that shivers down his body, and offers to help Eliott with the bag sitting at his feet.

“Daphne didn’t text you a picture of me?” Lucas asks as he picks up the bag and walks them toward the boot of his car. “You know, so you didn’t walk up to a serial killer thinking he’s me.”

“No,” Eliott replies with a laugh as he tosses his duffle in the back. “She just told me to look for the cute guy in the crappy car. And she was right.” There’s a ghost of a smile playing at the corner of his lips as his eyes rake down Lucas’s body.

Lucas’s head snaps up so fast he swears he gets whiplash. And _no way...no way_ is Lucas lucky enough to have Eliott refer to him cute.

“She was?” Lucas croaks out in a strangled voice. “ _Holy shit,”_ he thinks. _“Are Eliott and I having a meet cute moment? Is this the story we tell our grandchildren one day? ‘Your grandpa called me cute, I became a blithering idiot, and then we spent the rest of our lives in bliss.’”_

Eliott’s smile widens as he takes a step closer to Lucas. “She was.” 

_Bas in a Speedo...Bas in a Speedo...Bas in a_ ** _fucking_** _Speedo…_

“This is a crappy car.”

Lucas blinks. “Wait...what?”

Eliott closes the boot and turns back to face Lucas. He looks amused and it makes him 100 times more endearing to Lucas, and it really shouldn’t since he just insulted his car.

Lucas takes a step back, puffs his chest and narrows his eyes. “Excuse me, but my car is not crappy. She is a classic and you will treat her with respect.”

“She?” Eliott repeats.

Lucas nods his head emphatically. “Yes. Her name is Amelia and she has been with me for 4 years and has never…” He trails off when he notices that Eliott is biting his lip so he won’t laugh.

“You’re teasing me.” Lucas says with an embarrassed smile.

“Maybe just a little.”

And Eliott is smiling at him so fondly that Lucas can’t help but feel more at ease with him.

“You know,” Lucas says playfully, “It’s probably not smart to make fun of the guy who's agreed to drive you.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Eliott agrees with a small nod. He steps closer and stares at Lucas intensely. “How hard do I have to grovel at your feet to ask you to forgive me?”

Lucas smirks at him and makes a thoughtful sound at the back of his throat as he pretends to think. “Hmm...well I’m starving so why don’t you buy me dinner and we’ll call it even.

Eliott stares at him for another moment, his smile now soft and warm. “I can do that.”

They stand there in silence for a while, just basking in each other’s company, and Lucas finds himself falling harder and harder for Eliott with every second that passes between them. 

“Um...we should probably get going. It’s going to get dark soon and it takes awhile to get to the motel.” Lucas says as he starts walking towards his car door. He looks back and sees Eliott walking to the passenger side, still gazing at Lucas.

“Hey Lucas,” he calls over the hood of the car.

Lucas looks up, warmth spreading through his chest at Eliott’s grin. “Yeah.”

“I was teasing you about the car...but not the other part.”

Lucas stands there as Eliott slips into the car, willing himself to calm down.

_Bas in a Speedo...Bas in a Speedo...Bas in a Speedo._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Thai Takeout Fiasco of 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas breaks one of his rules...but in his defense it’s hard to say no to Eliott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you all for the comments and kudos! Sending virtual hugs to everyone.
> 
> Also a bit of a warning: Lucille is a character in this story but she is more of a villain in my world than she is on the show. Imagine Lucille but with Britt’s (WTFOCK) personality.
> 
> Trigger warning: drugging someone without their consent.

2: The Thai Takeout Fiasco of 2018

_ Flashback 2018 _

_ “Arthur, you better not drop any food in the backseat,” Lucas warned as he pulled his car out of the parking spot in front of the Thai restaurant. “It took me days to get that blue slushie stain out of the floor mats.” _

_ “First of all, that blue slushie stain was Yann’s fault…” _

_ “Hey, man!” Yann interrupted from the passenger seat. He turned his head and glowered at Arthur. “We swore we’d never tell him which one of us was responsible!” _

_ “Yeah,” Bas chimed in through a mouthful of Pad Thai. “Way to break the bro code.” _

_ “Jesus, Bas!” Lucas exclaimed as he looked at Bas in the rear view mirror. “Can you wait till we get back to your place before you start shoveling food into your face?” _

_ “I haven’t eaten anything in 3 hours,” Bas replied defensively as he placed the box of Pad Thai on his lap and opened a container of Green Curry. _

_ “Yeah,” Arthur said, digging a plastic spoon in another container of food. “You can’t expect us to wait to eat when this food smells so delicious.” _

_ Lucas twisted his head to face his two idiot friends in the backseat. “Guys! I swear to God, if so much as a drop falls…” _

_ “Fuck! Lucas watch out!” Yann screamed out suddenly. _

_ The next few seconds seem to happen in slow motion. As Lucas slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of him, the container of Green Curry goes flying through the air. Arthur let out a horrified “No!” as he tried to grab the container, completely forgetting about his own food, which spilled all over the backseat. _

_ There was dead silence. No one moved as they assessed the situation. There was Green Curry dripping everywhere, including Lucas and Yann’s heads. The food that Arthur had been holding spread all across the backseat, staining the grey upholstery and their jeans red.  _

_ Bas moved first. He very slowly closed the box of Pad Thai, which miraculously had not spilled, and placed it back in the takeout bag. He then leaned forward slightly and reached towards Lucas’s head with a trembling hand. _

_ “You...um...have a bamboo shoot in your hair…” _

“Bull shit!” Eliott laughs, interrupting Lucas' masterful retelling of The Thai Takeout Fiasco of 2018. “That didn’t happen.”

“It did,” Lucas insists emphatically. “You can still see the oil stains on the ceiling. Not to mention the red curry stain on the backseat.”

They had been driving for almost five hours, and the conversation between them flowed smoothly. They talked about school, the wedding, music and movies. There were no awkward pauses, no uncomfortable moments. 

Until Eliott brought out a bag of chips. Lucas was hesitant in saying no, not wanting to deny Eliott anything, but he stuck to his rule and told him he didn’t allow food and drink in the car. Eliott questioned why, which led to Lucas telling the story behind the rule.

Eliott’s body is shaking with laughter. “So, because Bas has a grip worse than a newborn, I can’t open this bag of chips.”

“How are you even hungry?” Lucas questions. “We just had a huge dinner...not to mention the cheesecake you got for free because you were flirting with the waitress.”

“I wasn’t flirting.”

“Oh, please! You kept smiling and staring at her with your dreamy eyes.”

“You think I have dreamy eyes?”

Lucas glances at Eliott, who has such a pleased look on his face. He quickly turns his focus back to the road as he mumbles, “They’re not bad.”

Eliott is quiet for a moment, gazing intently at Lucas. He lets out an amused huff before he picks up the bag of chips. “Please, Lucas,” he playfully whines, shaking the bag. “Please”

“No,” Lucas replies, trying to pay attention to the road and not the gorgeous, petulant man-child sitting next to him.

“Lucas,” Eliott pleads softly. “Please. I’m a growing boy...I need to eat.”

Against his better judgment, Lucas turns to look at Eliott, who is pouting at him in the most ridiculous manner. He groans, knowing he’s doomed and will  _ never _ be able to deny this man anything, especially when he looks all soft and sweet.

“Fine,” he relents, shaking his head when Eliott lets out a small cheer. “You’re ridiculous...you know that, right?”

“Yup,” Eliott agrees happily. He opens the bag, reaches in and pulls out a chip. “Here,” he says, holding it in front of Lucas’s mouth.

Lucas smiles in surprise as he reaches for the chip but stops as Eliott’s small  _ tsk. _ Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Eliott gazing at him in a way that makes his stomach twist. 

“Open up,” Eliott says.

Lucas swallows hard before he opens his mouth obediently. His eyes close briefly as Eliott places the chip on his tongue and his thumb and forefinger brush across his bottom lip.

He chews contemplatively, sneaking furtive glances at Eliott, who is now staring at the bag of chips like they hold all the secrets of the world. 

“Um...did I make you uncomfortable just now?” Eliott asks in a worried tone. “I act impulsively sometimes and it can make people…”

“No,” Lucas assures him quickly. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable.” He shares a shy smile with Eliott.

“I’ve been told that sometimes I can get too intense,” Eliott says quietly. “That I can frighten people.”

“Who told you that?”

“My ex-girlfriend,” Eliott replies. “She said that I didn't know how to behave around people and it made them feel uneasy. She was always yelling and telling me how to behave in public. It’s one of the reasons we broke up.”

“One of the reasons?” Lucas questions. He looks at Eliott who is staring out the window with a pinched expression. “Sorry...it’s none of my business.”

“No, it’s fine.” Eliott turns and offers him a melancholy smile. “Um...I’m supposed to take this medication and I’m not always the best at taking it.” He lets out a quick huff and says, “Actually, I don’t like taking them. I don’t like being dependent on them. They make me feel tired and unable to focus...so I don’t always take them. Lucille, my ex, was always looking over my shoulder...asking me if I took the pills and then counting them to see if I was lying.”

Lucas feels an unpleasant stirring in the pit of his stomach. He remembers having the same issue with his mother...always checking to see if she took her pills and then feeling helpless when he found out she hadn’t. He can almost sympathize with Lucille.

“Then one morning I caught her crushing my pills and drugging my coffee.”

“What?” Lucas exclaims in horror, any sympathy he may have felt flying out the window.

Eliott’s smile is bitter. “She was drugging my coffee. I think she might have been doing it for a few days because I felt exhausted all the time. Then one morning I caught her. She tried to deny it a first but admitted it after a while. Said it was my fault...that if I just acted like an adult she wouldn’t have to force me to take my pills. I packed up my stuff and haven’t seen her in four months.”

An uncomfortable silence envelopes them. Lucas keeps his attention to the road, taking the exit towards the motel. He looks over quickly and bites his lip at the dejected expression on Eliott’s face. Before he can second guess himself, he reaches over a grabs Eliott’s left hand, squeezing it gently.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I get nervous when I meet new people,” he says lightly, pleased when he hears Eliott chuckle softly. “I’m worried I’ll say or do something stupid or I’ll get too close, too fast, and they’ll abandon me.” He pauses, takes a quick breath and adds, “But I don’t feel like that with you. I mean…I know I acted like a fool when we first met but you can hardly blame me...your face can make people forget how to speak.”

Eliott lets out a surprise laugh.

“But,” Lucas continues, “I feel at ease with you. I like that you’re so open with me...that you’re fearless with your emotions. I don’t feel so guarded, like I can tell you anything and you wouldn’t push me away. Other than my friends, who I have known for years, I haven’t felt that before.” 

Eliott is watching him, his eyes a bit darker now. “Thank you, Lucas.” He looks down at their hands, still entwined, and lets out a weak sigh. “Do you mind if I don’t talk the rest of the way? I‘m a little tired.”

Lucas gives him a reassuring smile. “That’s fine. We should reach the motel in about twenty minute. Why don’t you close your eyes? I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Eliott lets out another weak sigh as he closes his eyes and rests his head against the window. Before he falls asleep, he squeezes Lucas hand gently and whispers softly.

“Don’t let go.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing for this fandom so please be kind. Comments are welcome.
> 
> My tumblr is https://jane-austen-taught-me-romance.tumblr.com


End file.
